Things to Do Around the Castle
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THINGS TO DO AROUND THE CASTLE Walking Trails Rambling is a British tradition, with rights of way that have been used for centuries that are protected by British law. The castle is at the junction of several public footpaths and public bridle paths, including the 1066 Country Walk. Getting lost is very easy, so it is recommended that you bring a map. Note that you will often be cutting through fields, sometimes with livestock, so be sure to close any gates, and it is recommended to avoid fields with cows. If you are feeling very ambitious, it is possible to walk to the coast in about three hours. A good reference is the rights of way map for East Sussex. The walk to Herstmonceux Village takes around 35 minutes. If you are not up to the footpaths you can use the lane. Go past the church just outside the castle grounds, and down the lane to the right. The village has two small shops, a hairdresser, some nice restaurants, a pub and a tea room. There is a cash withdrawal machine in one of the shops. East Sussex Falconry Falconry is an ancient tradition of using birds of prey such as falcons, hawks, kestrels or owls for hunt- ing. East Sussex Falconry operates out of the castle grounds and offers the opportunity to watch the birds in flight as well as flying some yourself. To book, contact them at East Sussex Falconry. LOCAL PUBS AND RESTAURANTS Close by The Lamb in Wartling (photo to the right), is excellent and close. The road is unsafe for walking, so take a taxi, especially after dark. You can also walk there using the rights of way footpaths through the fields, though it is easy to get lost. You can walk easily to the Bull’s Head in Boreham Street. It is very pleasant and has good food. The two pubs in Herstmonceux are much less atmospheric and the food is nowhere near as good, but you can walk to the village safely by starting at the church, and it’s a pretty, rural walk. There is a very good Indian restaurant, Eastern Promise, and The Sundial is an excellent, but expensive, French restaurant. If you have a car On a nice day or evening, go to The Tiger Inn in East Dean (photo to the right), after going for a walk on Beachy Head past Eastbourne. The inn has lovely rooms if you want to stay over. Other nice pubs with good food: • The George Inn in Alfriston. • The Ram in Firle, which is in a charming small village and has very nice rooms. • The Gun in Heathfield is great but can be a bit tricky to find. • The Horse and Groom in Rushlake Green. • The Cricketer’s Arms in Berwick has a lovely garden and don’t miss the church. • The Curlew in Bodiam is more a superb restaurant than a pub, and quite far – combine a trip with a visit to Bodiam Castle. • And two that have been recommended that haven’t been tried yet: The Plough at Upper Dicker which is walking distance from Michelham Priory and the Three Cups Inn at Three Cups Corner which is a little further north from Rushlake Green. NEARBY TOWNS AND SIGHTS Alfriston Village Alfriston Village is lovely town has a very pretty high street with a wonderful used bookstore Much Ado Books, two very good pubs - The George Inn and The Star Inn, and several tearooms including Badgers, which is lovely. The pretty green has an interesting church and the Alfriston Clergy House, a National Trust property open 10:30 am – 5:00 pm every day. Lewes You can easily get to Lewes by train from Polegate or Eastbourne. It is a very pleasant market town, including Harvey’s brewery, specializing in traditional cask ales, and good shopping, antiques and restaurants. The Lewes castle and museum requires an admission fee, but offers a panoram- ic view of the surrounding area. Brighton Brighton is also easily reached by train, and there are frequent minibuses on weekends. It is a big, busy seaside city, with lots of excellent shopping, pubs and restaurants. Running for over 50 years and definately worth attend- ing is The Brighton Festival, a large arts festival in May including music, theatre, dance, circus, film, visual arts and literature. The Royal Pavilion, a historic seaside pleasure palace, is a must, and the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery next door is free and worth a look. The Lanes are great for independent shops, and the North Laine area has young, quirky and diverse shops. Charleston Farmhouse In 1916 the artists Vanessa Bell, who was the sister of Virginia Woolf, and Duncan Grant moved to Charleston with their unconventional household. For the next 50 years, Charleston was the country meeting place of the group of artists, writers and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group. Clive Bell, David Garnett and Maynard Keynes lived at Charleston for considerable periods; Virginia and Leonard Woolf, E.M. Forster, Lytton Strachey and Roger Fry were frequent visitors.Inspired by Italian fresco painting and the Post-Impressionists, the artists decorated the walls, doors and furniture. The rooms display the decorative art of the Bloomsbury artists: murals, painted furniture, ceramics, paintings and textiles. The collection includes work by Renoir, Picasso, Derain, Sickert, and Delacroix. There is a lovely walled garden. The house is open for tours from Wednesday to Saturday from 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm and for self-guided visits on Sundays from 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm. Charleston also hosts a wonderful book festival in late May. Berwick Church Berwick Church, a traditional Sussex church damaged by bombs in World War II, was transformed with a series of controversial mural painted by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. This is a good visit to combine with Charleston and/or Alfriston. The church is open every day until dusk. The village has a good pub, the Cricketer’s Arms. Monk’s House Monk’s House was Virginia and Leonard Woolf’s summer house in Rodmell, near Lewes. It is open Wednesday to Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Michelham Priory Michelham Priory is the site of a former Augustine Priory, which became a country house after the dissolution of the monasteries. The house and beautiful gardens are open every day from 10:30 am - 5:00 pm. Battle Abbey The Abbey was built to commemorate the Battle of Hastings, fought on this site. It’s worth taking the audio tour around the battlefield – it’s just a field, really, but they do a good job of making it interesting. Trains to Charing Cross go from Battle, as an alternative to the Polegate – Victoria route. Taxis would be a little more than to Polegate, but the town of Battle is far more interesting than Polegate. Rye Rye is a really charming town. Once almost surrounded by sea, it played an import- ant role in the defense of the south coast of England as one of the Cinque Ports. The coast is now over 1½ miles from Rye along a picturesque river (the sea moved, not the town). The tower of St Mary’s church tower offers tremendous views. The nearby town of Winchelsea is also interesting, and in the other direction you come to Cam- ber, one of the few sandy beaches in Sussex. Located in Rye is the National Trust property Lamb House, home at various times to Henry James and several other authors, is small but interesting, and has a lovely garden. It is open Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Great Dixter House and Gardens Great Dixter is a gorgeous 15th century timber-framed manor house set in one of the most beautiful gardens in England. In the early 20th century Nathaniel Lloyd com- missioned Sir Edwin Lutyens to renovate and extend the house. The gardens were created and maintained by Nathaniel’s son Christopher Lloyd, one of England’s most famous garden writers. The house and gardens are open Tuesday to Sunday afternoons. Bateman’s - Rudyard Kipling’s House Bateman’s is a Jacobean house containing the belong- ings of Rudyard Kipling, who lived here from 1902 until his death in 1936. Most of the rooms are much as he left them. The beautiful gardens run down to a small river where there is a watermill. The house is open every day 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Bodiam Castle Bodiam Castle is a perfect example of a late medieval moated castle. It is really beautiful but, as the interior is an empty ruin, it can be seen fairly quickly. The castle is open daily from 10:30 am – 5:00 pm. Don’t miss The Curlew Restaurant nearby. Beachy Head / Birling Gap Just past Eastbourne you can park at the top of Beachy Head, or drive a little farther to Birling Gap, and enjoy the spectacular scen- ery. There are endless walks and trails along the dramatic white cliffs. A short walk in-bound will bring to you the village of East-Dean; don’t forget to stop at The Tiger Inn. Glyndebourne Opera Glyndebourne Opera is a hugely expensive but world-famous opera house, excellent for watching posh people have picnics in the lovely grounds. It can be difficult to buy tickets, and it is black tie – not so difficult for women, but tricky for men not travelling with a dinner jacket (i.e. a tuxedo). Sometimes the musicians in residence at the castle offer tickets for a dress rehearsal – go if you possibly can.